Misplaced (5 page)

Sob
o
stoo
d
calmly
,
“
Y
o
u
won’
t
outli
v
e
m
e
b
y
long
,
Nubian.”
He
grinned
hatefully.
The
palace
guards
are
on
their
w
ay.
A
far
wors
e
fat
e
a
w
ait
s
you,
”
h
e
snorted
,
wipin
g
hi
s
nos
e
wit
h
the
back
of his hand. “I’
v
e been
planning
it
for
y
ears. I al
w
ays saw
yo
u
fo
r
th
e
heretica
l
brut
e
tha
t
yo
u
are
.
Don’
t
thin
k
yo
u
e
v
e
r intimidated me,” Sobo sneered. “It’s easy to conquer unarmed men—”

Nando
r
’
s
se
t
hi
s
swor
d
dow
n
an
d
pushed
.
Ther
e
w
a
s
hardly
a
soun
d
a
s
i
t
skate
d
behin
d
him
,
comin
g
t
o
a
n
abrup
t
sto
p
just in front of Khara.

E
v
e
n
withou
t
hi
s
youth
,
th
e
genera
l
w
a
s
formidable
.
He
flung
his
arms
around
Nandor,
using
his
fists
like
rocks to pound Nando
r
’s lo
w
er back and face. Sobo’s arms
w
ere still flailing
when
Nandor
took
hold
of
his
face
and
lifted
him
from the
floor.
Khara
heard
something
snap.
The
general’s
body
fell into a mound of legs and arms; only the e
y
e patch remained in place.

Agil
e
a
s a
cat
,
Menefr
a
leap
t
ou
t
o
f
reac
h
an
d
picke
d
the
knife
up
from
the
floor.
“
Y
ou
will
not
sa
v
e
her,”
she
said
softly, almost
gently,
e
y
es
gleaming
at
the
sight
of
the
oozing
entrails. Her words struck Khara mute. “If I fail, there are others…”

M
enefr
a
m
o
v
e
d
t
o
w
ar
d
Nan
d
o
r
wit
h
a
s
toni
s
hing
d
eliberation
.
“My sword,” he ordered Khara, who tried not to look, as she pushed it to him with her foot. He
s
traightene
d
hi
ms
el
f
an
d
d
re
w
the
bloo
d
y
swor
d
i
n
a
flambo
y
an
t
arc
,
restin
g
i
t
directl
y
i
n
fron
t
o
f
Menefra’s
chest.
She
hesitated,
e
y
es
fixed on
Khara.
Seemingly
unafraid, Me
nefr
a
continued
,
w
avin
g
th
e
knif
e
stil
l
w
e
t
wit
h
thei
r
fathe
r
’s
blood.

“Wha
t
ha
v
e
yo
u
done?
”
Khar
a
cried
,
suddenl
y
a
w
akened
fro
m
he
r
trance
.
Searchin
g
desperatel
y
fo
r
th
e
confidant
e
she
had al
w
ays known, she saw that the expression in her siste
r
’s e
y
es belonged to a stranger. “Why, Mennie? Why?”

“It’
s
n
o
use,
”
Menefr
a
said
,
turnin
g
he
r
gaz
e
fro
m
the
Nubian. “
Y
ou must die, sister.”

Khar
a
hel
d
Menefra’
s
spitefu
l
gaz
e
and
,
withou
t
words,
called
to
her.
Just
this
morning
w
e
w
ere
laughing
together,
painting thick lines of kohl across our e
y
elids. What evil has possessed you?
He
r
las
t
hop
e
w
a
s
t
o
us
e
th
e
frenz
y
o
f
he
r
emotions
,
her
denia
l
an
d
outrage
,
t
o
sen
d
the
m
t
o
Menefra
.
Fo
r
a
n
instant
,
th
e dancing knife froze.

It
w
as
the
opportunity
Nandor
needed.
Stepping
closer,
he
grabbe
d
a
wor
n
leathe
r
pouc
h
fro
m
aroun
d
hi
s
w
ais
t
an
d
shook
its
sil
v
ery
contents
into
her
face.
She
thrust
her
knife
viciously,
e
v
e
n
a
s
th
e
blindin
g
powde
r
too
k
effect
.
Afte
r
strugglin
g
t
o
free
the blade from Nando
r
’s flesh,
she struck again.

“
Y
ou
will
not
sa
v
e
her!”
Menefra
shrieked
again
and
again, lunging with the knife each time.

Nando
r
slippe
d
behin
d
her
,
wrappe
d
hi
s
grea
t
blac
k
arm
around
her
neck
while
she
fought
in
v
ain,
and
held
her
until
he
r
bod
y
w
en
t
limp
.
Whe
n
sh
e
cease
d
t
o
struggle
,
h
e
la
y
her
down
gently,
a
w
ay
from
the
blood
spreading
across
the
stone floor.

“How
did
I
not
see
this?”
Nandor
shook
his
head.
The
rage
fade
d
fro
m
hi
s
fac
e
an
d
w
a
s
replace
d
b
y
a
loo
k
tha
t
tor
e
Khara’s
heart
.
“Forgi
v
e
me
,
Princes
s
Khara
.
E
v
e
n
no
w
I
canno
t
harm
her.”